Comedian Chris Rock made waves in his latest Netflix comedy special, “Selective Outrage,” bizarrely ranting about abortion while acknowledging that preborn children are babies. He also coarsely joked that abortion should be legal… even up to four years old. In doing so, he unintentionally highlighted the absurdity of the “pro-choice” position.
“A lot of people say, ‘Chris, you shouldn’t talk about abortion. It’s a women’s issue. I’m like, ‘Hey! I’ve paid for more abortions than any woman in this room,’” the comedian said, according to the Washington Examiner. “When I go to the clinic, I say, ‘Give me the usual.’ When I go in, they give me a punch card. ‘Here you go.’ Two more, and I get a free smoothie. Mango!”
Rock’s comments, whether intentionally or unintentionally, highlighted the selfishness of pro-choice men. It is not about helping women, but making life easier for the man in question.
Live Action highlighted this in its satirical production, “Abortion Rights Are Pro-Choice Men’s Rights.”
“The other side will point out that abortion kills a human being. But my right to impregnate a woman and then leave her in the dust outweighs the baby’s right to life,” one pro-choice man said in the skit, echoing the comedian’s sentiments.
Rock then attempts to play both sides of the field, insisting a “part” of him is pro-life, before justifying the horrors of abortion to the audience.
“I have two beautiful daughters. So there’s a part of me that’s pro-life,” he continued. “Because I’m definitely pro their lives. … But since I love my daughters unconditionally, I love them not just as little girls, I love them as grown women. I want my daughters to live in a world where they have complete control of their bodies. And because of that, I am pro-choice. I’m absolutely pro-choice. I believe women should have the right to kill babies.” (emphasis added)
The admission that the preborn is in fact a human child, but that it should not have the right to live is absurd. A preborn child is innocent and did not create himself or herself. He or she did not invade his or her mother’s uterus. The child is not an enemy of his or her parents. That child has an inherent right not to be executed.
When he detected the audience’s nervous reaction, Rock reaffirmed that he was pro-abortion, “That’s right. I’m on your side,” referring to the abortion lobby.
The comedian followed up by confirming his thoughts that the preborn are in fact “babies,” but insisted that killing babies is a woman’s right, likening abortions to hiring a hitman. Interestingly, Pope Francis has made the same comparison.
“Because whenever I pay for an abortion, I request a dead baby,” Rock continued. “Sometimes, I call up the doctor like a hitman: ‘Is it done?’”
Perhaps the most disturbing comments made during the rant suggested that even preschool-aged children should be able to be “aborted.” No doubt many will defend his words, insisting it was a joke.
But in reality, Rock may have unintentionally made an important point: killing a preborn child is equivalent in action to killing a child outside the womb.
“People argue. First trimester, second trimester … I think women should have the right to kill a baby until he’s 4 years old,” Rock said. “F*** ‘trimester.’ ‘Semester!’” He concluded by rehashing the punch card joke: “I think you should be able to kill a baby till you get that first report card. Whoo! He ain’t never getting a scholarship. ‘Okay, you can finish watching Stranger Things. But when it’s over, we going to the clinic! Hurry up, I’m trying to get a smoothie.”
This bit highlights an issue within the culture — the growing sense that children are not part of the family, but commodities. We have all heard the term “designer babies,” and Rock’s commentary, as disturbed as it is, shines a light on this mentality. If they are not human or worthy of protection, then they can be disposed of without a second thought.
Life is not precious if you can simply swap it for a free meal… or a smoothie.
But in reality, every human life — born or preborn — is precious, and all are deserving of the right to life.
Live Action founder Lila Rose addressed this on Fox News, saying of Rock, “He’s an honest comedian, and if you’re sitting and you’re pro-choice in the audience and you’re kind of uncomfortable because he called abortion what it is: it’s killing a baby. It creates a dead baby. He was honest.”
Rose added, “He’s a brilliant satirist. I mean, it’s satire. He’s basically showing people, this is the extremism of being so pro-abortion that you’re proud of paying for women’s abortions. And he calls it murder. I think it’s an underhanded blow against pro-abortion people and I found it very compelling. Good for you, Chris Rock. That was some intelligent humor right there.”
If there is one positive thing to come out of Chris Rock’s abortion “jokes,” it was the honesty in being so up front about what an abortion entails.
